The heavens opened, but still they came for the chance to sup behind closed doors with Premier Barry O'Farrell and many of his most senior ministers.

One of Australia's richest men, industry and political lobbyists and assorted business figures filed into Doltone House at Pyrmont for an important NSW Liberal Party fund-raising event marking one year before the next state election.

The willingness to meet donors stood in stark contrast to Mr O'Farrell's attitude towards marking the one-year milestone with the media; for the first time in three years he is refusing one-on-one interviews.

But among those Mr O'Farrell did make time for was home loans supremo ''Aussie'' John Symond, freshly appointed by the government as chairman of the Opera House Trust.

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Sydney Airports Corporation chairman Max ''The Axe'' Moore-Wilton made an appearance - no doubt to express his displeasure at Prime Minister Tony Abbott's plans for a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek.

And of course, lobbyists turned out in force, including former party fundraising chief Paul Nicolaou, now NSW chief executive of the Australian Hotels Association.

He would have had plenty to discuss, not the least of which being the O'Farrell government's imposition of 1.30am lockouts and 3am last drinks upon high-risk licensed venues in central Sydney - laws the AHA has railed against.

More recently, Mr Nicolaou was mentioned during the Independent Commission Against Corruption's inquiry into Australian Water Holdings - as a former lobbyist trying to help the controversial company win government contracts.

Also there was lobbyist and party powerbroker Michael Photios who, like Mr Nicolaou, was once hired by AWH. ICAC heard Mr Photios was potentially in line for a $1 million success fee if it won a lucrative public private partnership with the state government.

However, there was no sign of Arthur Sinodinos, who recently stood aside as federal assistant treasurer after the ICAC questioned his role as an AWH executive.

And the newly-appointed NSW Liberal state director Scott Briggs - whose job will involve a great deal of fundraising before next year's election - was also spotted working the crowd.

The surprise attendee was upper house MP Robert Borsak, whose Shooters and Fishers Party remains at war with the O'Farrell government over how hunting may be carried out in national parks.

An indication of a possible thawing of the relationship? Definitely not, according to Mr Borsak, who said he was not a donor but there as a guest.